Submitted Photo U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer spoke in Cheektowaga on Monday to call for federal assistance to address surging egg prices across the region.

Amid the increasing price of eggs in Western New York and across Upstate New York amid the bird flu outbreak, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer spoke at Alton’s Restaurant in Cheektowaga to call for assistance from the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) for a coordinated response to stop the spread of bird flu that is leading to rising prices for eggs across the region.

“Egg prices are skyrocketing because of bird flu, driving costs up for families, farms, diners, and small businesses. In November, a dozen eggs cost about $4 in NY which is already high, but now the average is nearly $6, and with bird flu getting worse this problem could quickly spiral into a crisis,” said Senator Schumer.

Schumer stated he previously secured funding to contain the disease and is now asking the new administration to “surge biosecurity efforts” to crack down on the disease.

“I am committed to working in a bipartisan way with the new administration to get grocery prices lower and that starts with getting a handle on bird flu. The health of our livestock, our restaurants, and Western New York families’ wallets depend on it,” Schumer said.

Some grocery stores are limiting the number of egg cartons consumers can purchase, and the price of eggs in New York State has increased from $4.23 in November to $6.10 as of January 10 according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Roughly 8% of egg supply has been affected by the avian flu nationwide, and experts say prices could increase an additional 20% in 2025 if the bird flu keeps spreading.

As of Monday afternoon, the price of a dozen Great Value large white eggs at Walmart in Fredonia was $4.17. The weekly advertised price of a dozen Eggland’s Best cage free large brown eggs at Tops Friendly Markets on Vineyard Drive in Dunkirk was $5.99 for Tops Bonus Plus members.

“The bottom-line here is that we do not want farmers, the feds, or consumers at the grocery store to scramble with this threat of bird flu sustaining into 2025. We want to try and keep grocery prices in check, and that means keeping the new Congress and the new administration laser-focused on ending this latest bird flu outbreak,” said Schumer.

More than 20 million egg-laying chickens died last quarter because of bird flu, and last week Long Island’s last commercial duck farm was forced to kill thousands of ducks after health officials detected cases of bird flu, forcing the farm to cease operations. An outbreak in Georgia last week showed how the virus can spread, and Schumer highlighted the need for federal coordination to prevent further spread and support farms in New York and across the country. With infections across the country, there have been fewer eggs available, and decreased supply has led to increasing prices at grocery stores.

“I thank Senator Schumer for standing up for basic, common sense public health efforts. As the COVID-19 pandemic showed, we need everyone, from global partners and academia to local health departments in the fight together against illnesses like H5N1 highly pathogenic avian flu, which is a looming threat to the public’s health, our economy and our food security,” said Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz.

HHS invested $300-plus million before the new administration took office and the USDA has said that preparedness is the key to keeping Americans healthy and our country safe. Schumer said that as Congress continues to negotiate the Farm Bill, which regulates the federal budget for agricultural-related programs, the new Congress and the new administration must continue to prioritize investing in helping farms detect and contain bird flu.

Schumer said, “I’ll be pushing for more federal resources in the upcoming budget bill to stop the bird flu, and the feds need to continue prioritizing biosecurity, get all hands on deck for containing bird flu. This will give farmers the resources to isolate, sanitize, and purchase the protective equipment they need.”